Replies

1. 
   JBD | Jan 10, 2004 09:51am | #1

   To make an accurate one, all you need is a large compass or beam & trammel points (a stick with a nail on one end and a pencil clamped onto the other).

   Get the center of the 48" square (diagonal X).  Then set the radius of a large circle to fit inside this square - no need to be perfect size circle - can be smaller.  Then draw the circle.  Do not change the radius setting on your compass/trammel.  Then draw a centerline through the center point parallel to the sides.  Take the point of your compass/beam/trammel and place it at the intersection of centerline / circle.  Then swing the marking end to mark where it intersects the circle.  Move point to THAT mark and repeat five more times.  According to the divine perfection of geometry you will end up intersecting exactly where you began, and you'll have six perfectly spaced points on the circle.  If it is off, then you didn't hold the points exactly center.

   That will get you started.  Check with a square for parallel sides, or set your protractor for 120° to check the angles (inside).  The miter angles will be 60°, though many chopsaws show 30° for a 60° angle cut, cuz they measure a 90 crosscut as 0°.

    

   "The furniture designer is an architect." - Maurice DuFrenes (French Art Deco furniture designer, contemporary of Ruhlmann)

   http://www.pbase.com/dr_dichro

2. 
   UncleDunc | Jan 10, 2004 10:51am | #2

   The distance across the the points is 2 times R, where R is the radius of a circle that intersects all six points of the hexagon. The length of each side is R, the distance from the center to a point is R, and the distance from the center to the midpoint of a side is .866 times R.

   The largest hexagon you can get out of a 48" square is 48" across the points. R is 24". The distance from the center to the midpoint of a side is 24" times .866, or 20.78", so the distance across the flats is twice that much, 41.57".

   From one edge, measure up 20.78" and draw a line parallel to the edge that you measured from. From the same edge, measure up 41.57 inches and draw another parallel line. The original edge will form one side of the hexagon, the top parallel line will the other side, and the bottom parallel line is the center line.

   Now draw a line at a right angle to the first two, exactly in the center of the square. Where this line intersects the top parallel line is the center of the top side of the hexagon. Where the perpendicular line intersects the bottom edge of the square is the center of the bottom side of the hexagon.

   On the top line, measure 12" on each side of the center point and mark the end points of the top side of the hexagon. On the edge of the square, measure 12" on each side of the center point and mark the end points of the bottom side of the hexagon. From each of those end points, draw a line to where the lower parallel line intersects the edges of the square, and you've got your hexagon.

3. 
   krumy | Jan 10, 2004 04:43pm | #3

   Here is a page that may help.

   http://mywebpages.comcast.net/krumy/roundframe/round.html

   Steve K

1. 
   CarpenterJC | Jan 10, 2004 08:03pm | #4

   Thankyou all for the help...the idea was just right their but I couldnt grasp it..ever have one of those days?..LOL..anyway..I got it..and thanks again, I appreciate the help..

                                                               JC